~

 

“So…” Aggie was determined to worm the information that she needed out of the vampire. “Unless I do something stupid…”

“Witches always do something stupid,” Cassius said.

“I’m gonna let that one slide — wouldn’t wanna do anything stupid,” Aggie bit back with only the slightest amount of venom in her tone. “You’re not going to kill me, but just use me as bait?”

“Very good, shall I applaud now?”

“Wouldn’t want you to strain anything.” Aggie’s flippant reply made the vampire’s lips quirk just a little.

“Touché.”

“So, you’re either interested in what the alpha wants with a meddlesome witch — which, knowing the spell that I’m here to perform, I really don’t think that’s your thing — or…”

“Or — such a hanging word.”

“It wouldn’t have been if you hadn’t of cut me off, but ho-hum, moving on to — or it something else.”

“Well, obviously its something else. I have no interest in the alpha or his pack.” Cassius replied.

“Now here’s where it gets tricky — for you.” Aggie left her words there in a teasing manner to find out just how interested the vampire was in what she had to say.

“How so?” It hadn’t taken him long to snap up the bait.

“I’m a mate,” Aggie offered and watched as the information hit the man’s brain and he rolled his eyes on a groan.

“That was fast work. Congrats, or commiserations to your better half.” Cassius bit out.

He’d been around the block long enough to know just what being a mate meant to the situation at hand. The pack would stop at nothing to get the witch back.

Cassius knew that he needed to act fast. He’d had a timeline in mind, but now that was gone.

He didn’t need to be waging war against a pack of blood thirsty wolves — he just needed to finish one warlock.

“My better half!” Aggie snorted her contempt for him.

“Well, you are a witch — enough said.”

“When it comes to the moment that I decide to unleash my magic upon you — I’m not going to forget you said that.”

“Then I guess I should kill you before that happens.”

Aggie could judge people, but vampires weren’t exactly normal people. For whatever reason, they tended to wear a mask of indifference and aloofness to those around them. Unfortunately, his mask wasn’t slipping.

“Unfriendly little bugger, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I don’t want a vampire for a friend,” Aggie muttered.

“Then congratulations, your wish just came true. Be warned, witch, I have no qualms about killing you. Well, I’d prefer it was after I carried out my dastardly plan…”

“Want to share?” Aggie tossed back.

“No, not really.”

“Because sharing is caring?”

“I don’t care.”

“I get that about you. Doesn’t mean we can’t work together. Especially as there’s something in it for me.” Aggie reasoned.

“I don’t trust you. Who trusts a witch?” Cassius expanded his hands and met her eye to eye.

“Another witch. Shifters, some of them. Some vampires, but you with your little narcissistic personality and all the charm of a rattlesnake — well, not so much.” Aggie said.

She had half a mind on baiting him while the rest was ringing the bells of doom and telling her not to. But Aggie was never the type of person to listen to the doom mongers.

“Are you absolutely certain that you want to get out of this alive?” Cassius tossed back.

“Well, you know?”

“Because it doesn’t feel like it from where I’m standing.”

“If you want me to stop then tell me why I’m here.”

“And you’ll shut up?”

“Sure I will. Maybe — but the point is…”

“You’re going to keep talking until I do anyway.” Cassius groaned inwardly.

“Bingo!” Aggie chuckled.

“Warlock.”

“Come again?”

His one-word explanation had opened up more questions than it had answered.

“A warlock. My warlock to be exact — on my payroll. He screwed the pooch, and here you are.”

“Okay, I have absolutely no damn idea what you’re talking about. What’s a warlock got to do with me? Especially, as he is your warlock.” Aggie scowled back at the man.

“He was supposed to make an unbreakable spell, a spell that you broke in a roundabout way.”

“I did?”

“You did.”

“Good for me!” Aggie chuckled.

“It would appear not, yes?” Cassius motioned around them.

“Yeah, well there is that,” Aggie muttered.

“And that’s why you’re here.”

“At the risk of repeating myself — come again?”

“He failed. He dies — you – I’m not sure about yet.” Cassius admitted.

“Well, hey, if I get a vote, I vote I stay alive.”

“Shocker.”

“So how am I the bait?” Aggie asked.

“He’s coming for you. I guess it’s a pride thing,” Cassius shrugged his broad shoulders.

“So, in a roundabout way, I guess you’re here to save me.”

“If thinking that makes you feel better then go right ahead.”

“So, you’re like Santa, and the Easter Bunny all rolled into one.” Aggie chuckled.

“Stop talking now.”

“Ah, come on — where’s the fun in that?”

“Not having your tongue ripped out so you can’t speak.” Cassius offered her a solution to his problem.

“I’ll just stop talking now.”

“Good choice.”

“Thank you.”

“Still talking.”

“I have the need to have the last word,” Aggie said.

Cassius narrowed his eyes on the witch for a long moment. He’d take her at her word, but only because he wanted her to shut up.

 

~

~

~

 

Mia got that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach again. There had been a big rock just sitting there from the moment that she knew that Aggie was in trouble, but she had to trust that Lewis and the pack knew what they were doing.

“We shouldn’t intervene…” Mia started to protest, but Jules went right ahead and cut her off.

“We shouldn’t do a lot of things, but we do them anyway. It’s in our nature to mess where we don’t belong.” She offered with a small shrug of her shoulders.

“I get that. I do. It would be different if we were already mated. But if we go out there now then our mates will pick up a scent or our presence, and that distraction could get one of them killed, or even Aggie.”

Mia was right, and they all knew it. But that didn’t mean that they were happy about it.

“But she’s one of ours,” Debbie sighed.

“And she’s also pack,” Jules added seeing the reason in what Mia had said.

“One of ours…” Mia nodded, thinking on her feet. “And we might not be able to go out there — but that doesn’t mean we can’t send our magic out in our place.” All three witches snapped to attention as ideas sprung to life within them.

“I’ll find a candle, and if I can’t find a candle I’ll find something to burn!” Debbie said as she turned on her heels and took off down the hallway.

“I’ll go and raid the herb cupboard in the kitchen — I assume they’re not total Neanderthals that only use salt and pepper.” Jules tossed back over her shoulder as she took off.

“Their idea of seasoning is probably to cover everything in a beer sauce,” Debbie snorted just before she disappeared into one of the rooms.

Mia was already gathering her magic to reach out for Aggie. If they could bolster the elder’s magic, then the witch would stand a better chance against any vampire.